BikeWise 2018

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Jim Moir (Vic Reeves) tells the life story of 70s icon, Motorcycle World Champion - Barry Sheene and rides the bikes that are part of the Sheene legend.

Moir tells how Sheene rose to the top of his sport and also became a hugely popular public figure, transcending the world of bike racing.

As well as taking to the track himself, Moir meets members of Sheene's family, close friends and rivals.

Packed with rare archive and home-movie footage, the programme gives an intimate and enthralling portrait of a man who lived life at full-throttle, and who, in his career, survived more than one hair-raising crash

Paws Up (The Durham Police Dogs Benevolent Fund) are delighted to announce their first ever production of a festive greetings card.

These are now available to order on line at the Paws Up shop.Just click on the image to be taken to the merchandise page at www.pawsup.org.ukAs ever, all proceeds are to help our retired four legged colleagues.

Please note that this is ONE card only ...It is reversible, with an image on both sides and designed to appeal to people of all ages !

One side shows our very own drugs detection dog -Police Dog 'Dexter' posing amongst presents with Paws Up mascot 'Bob'.On the reverse is a lovely festive image of 'Bob' only.

The cards are A6 in size and come with an envelope. Full colour, printed on 300 Gsm card and left blank inside for your own message.

For mail order / on line sales, we are selling these exclusive cards in packs of 10 for only £5 - including P&P.

Photos are now online from the latest meeting of BikeWise Mini Bike Club, which was held on Sunday 19th October at Carrville Park & Ride..Many Thanks to all who helped with the setting up and taking down of the track, signing riders on, marshalling & to John Attle from Durham Photographic Society for taking the pictures.To view the pictures please click on the image or visit the website.Next meeting of the club will be Sunday 16th November at Carrville

It was first observed in 1919, however until 1945 it was called Armistice Day. Traditionally there is two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain) when the armistice became effective in 1918.Today, in the UK Remembrance Sunday is also observed on the Sunday nearest to November 11th. So, in the United Kingdom, two minutes' silence is observed on November 11 itself, and on the second Sunday of November. Remembrance Sunday, ceremonies are held at War Memorials, all over the UK and over the years it has become a day to commemorate not just the sacrifice of servicemen and women but the suffering of civilians in times of war.

Remembrance Sunday is commemorated by church services around the UK and a parade of ex-service personnel in London’s Whitehall. Wreaths of poppies are placed on war memorials from the Cenotaph, a war memorial in Whitehall, to the tiniest war memorials in villages all over Britain. Small wooden crosses are placed in Gardens of Remembrance as private acts of remembering individual losses and suffering and people pin poppies to their coat or jacket.

History states that it was the poem 'In Flanders Fields' written in 1915 by Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer, that captured the imagination of the British people in the dark days of trench warfare on the Western Front when so many young soldiers failed to return. Six months before the Armistice, McCrae was brought on a stretcher to a big hospital on the French coast and saw the cliffs of Dover from his room. He died that night and was buried in a cemetery above Wimereux. Before he died, he said to the doctor: "Tell them this . . . If ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep." An American woman, Miss Moina Michael, wrote a moving poem in reply and bought 25 red poppies, wearing one herself as a way to keep faith with the war dead; a French woman, Madame Guerin, came up with the practical idea of making and selling artificial poppies to help ex-service men and their dependents in need.

Britain's first Poppy Day was held in 1921 and the money raised helped children in war-devastated areas. The Royal British Legion opened its own poppy factory in London in 1922 to give practical help in time of need to all who have served in the armed forces and their widows and dependents. The paper poppies that are worn today are made by ex-service personnel and are sold by representatives of the Royal British Legion, an organisation of ex-servicemen and women. Today, they make more than 35 million poppies and 65,000 wreaths for the annual poppy appeal. Poppies grew in great abundance in the shell-torn fields of Flanders during the War. Because of its abundance it became the symbol of remembrance of two world wars.

The next meeting of the BikeWise Mini Bike Club will be on :Sunday 7th September at Carrville Park & Ride, Durham.

Usual start time of 1030hrs with signing on from 1000hrs.We will be a bit short handed at this meeting so please if you can help to set up the track or take it down at the end it would be appreciated.Any cancellation due to bad weather will be posted on the website / Facebook/ Twitter by 0915hrsKarting NE will host there next session on Monday 15th September (5pm – 8pm)

Hard-hitting footage of a fatal collision in Norfolk has been released by police in a bid to get motorcyclists and drivers to think seriously about road safety. Viewers are warned that this video contains content which some may find distressing, but it does not show any graphic images of the rider during or after the collision and they are given the option to refrain from viewing.

A Motorcyclist has died after swerving to avoid a tractor and trailer on the A68 in County Durham.Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened near Witton-le-Wear at 8.30pm on Thursday (September 4) evening.A spokesman for Durham Police said that the man, who lives locally, was riding a blue Suzuki south when he saw the tractor, towing a 32 ft-long trailer, pull out of Saunders Avenue onto the A68.He took evasive action to avoid the tractor but his bike left the road.He was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries. The tractor driver was unhurt.Police would like to speak to anybody who may have seen the motorcycle on the road at or around the time of the collision.Anyone who can help should contact Durham Police on 101 of the force’s collision investigation unit on 0191-3752159.

Usual start time of 1030hrs with signing on from 1000hrs.We will be a bit short handed at this meeting so please if you can help to set up the track or take it down at the end it would be appreciated.Any cancellation due to bad weather will be posted on the website / Facebook/ Twitter by 0915hrs

Wednesday 27th August 2014Set in beautiful countryside a few miles south of Darlington this 2.1 mile track has some challenging corners and extensive straights which give a really broadspectrum of experiences to help riders develop their skills.This full day event offers sessions of circuit riding under the guidance of an experienced IAM instructor interspersed with theoretical input to help you enhance your riding. The instructor will develop your observations and your techniques of bike control so that you are able to make rapid and smooth laps of the circuit. You willwork on positioning, braking, gear choice and acceleration technique. Repeated laps of the same circuit allow you to experiment with different variations of approach, and demonstrate how critical the right choice is to making the ride feel absolutely right. It doesn’t have to be done at fearsome speeds. You can enjoy the Skills Day at your own pace and your instructor will work with you in whatever way suits you best. After booking, we shall ask to you for details of your previous experience so that we canensure you get instruction at a level most beneficial to you. The circuit environment allows you to experience the subtleties of your bikes handling. You are in a controlled space. The usual hazards associated with the public roads are entirely absent. The setting for Skills Day training is unique.The experience is invaluable!

Croft is ideal for us to help you to learn so much more about your bike and yourself.No matter what they have been riding, IAM members have enjoyed this unique experience and been surprised by what they have learnt in the just a few hours.You should be next!Croft has all the facilities you could ask for!Refreshments are available throughout the day, with a free coffee or tea on arrival once you have signed in.An IAM photographer will be present and a full set of shots is sent to every rider after the eventGuests are welcome and can enjoy the freedom of the pit lane and watch the action from the pit lane wall. Make a real day out of it!

All this for an exceptionally low cost!IAM Rider Skills Day only £149Booking opens on Tuesday, 24th June 2014 at 10 amJust call IAM Support on 0208 996 9600 or 0845 126 8600 It couldn’t be easier!

IMPORTANT NOTESThe booking and payment arrangements for this event are very specific and to help us you must follow them closely. There have beenoccasional difficulties with bookings for previous events when events have become oversubscribed, a situation which we wish to avoid.1. Booking opens on Tuesday, 24th June 2014 at 10 am. No earlier bookings will be taken under any circumstances. Please be ready to callas soon as the booking window opens as we anticipate the event will fill rapidly.2. Payment will be due by credit or debit cards at the time of booking.3. Detailed joining instructions will be circulated by e-mail in earlyAugust.NOISEThere are specific noise limits at Croft circuit which we mustadhere to.It is a condition of entry to the event that the bike you use must be fully road legal, and capable of legally being ridden to the event onpublic roads. On the day of the event the bike must be taxed,insured, and be capable of passing the MOT test, with number plates, lights and any fairings all fitted and working.In addition to the exhaust being fully road legal, it MUST be fitted with a baffle. In the event that these restrictions are not observed,entry to the event on the day will not be allowed.

A THINK! radio campaign has been launched to encourage drivers to take longer to look for motorcyclists after figures revealed that 30 bikers are killed or injured every day at junctions, Road Safety Minister Robert Goodwill has announced.

Launched on the 21 July 2014, the ‘Didn’t See’ campaign will run for 4 weeks on national radio with the aim of reducing the number of motorcyclist and driver collisions on our roads.

Research for THINK! has shown that drivers believe the majority of motorcycle accidents happen because of bikers breaking the speed limit – but statistics actually show around half of motorcyclist accidents, where the rider is killed or seriously hurt, occur at junctions, with drivers failing to look properly being the most common cause.

Robert Goodwill from the Department for Transport said:

“Every day more than 30 motorcycle riders die or are injured in accidents at road junctions. Often, though not always, this is because a driver has pulled out in front of a rider.More than 2 people lose their lives every week in this way and this is something we are determined to change – if all drivers and riders took a bit more care at junctions we could bring this figure down significantly.Motorcyclists make up just 1% of traffic on the roads but 19% of all fatalities. They are 55 times more likely than car drivers to be killed or seriously hurt in an accident.”

Motorcyclist Priscila Currie is supporting the campaign after an accident in central London changed her life.

She said:

My accident happened because a car pulled out in front of me. I wasn’t riding fast, only at 30 mph, but the accident had a profound impact on my life – physically and mentally.

I was hospitalised for 12 days with severe fractures and underwent 18 months of physiotherapy. It took more than 3 years for me to find the confidence to get back on a bike and I now live with pain every day, which has affected my mobility.

People make mistakes but drivers should remember that mistakes can cost lives. Behind the motorcycle helmet is a person. We have families, friends, careers and a life, just like other road users, so I would urge drivers to please take longer, especially at junctions, to look out for motorcyclists.

THINK! will also be launching a new campaign this summer encouraging motorcyclists to undertake further training and to ride defensively to help improve their safety on the roads.

Chief Constable Launches 20th Anniversary BikeWise EventChief Constable, Mike Barton helped stunt rider Dave Coates test out his quad bike ahead of this Sunday’s BikeWise event.This is the 20th anniversary of the popular fun day which hosts a range of motorbike related displays and other attractions at Police Headquarters, Aykley Heads in Durham.Chief Constable, Mike Barton said: “This is a great family event, there is something for everyone to enjoy! I am proud to be hosting the 20th anniversary of BikeWise which will also be the last major event to be held at Aykley Heads before we move over the road to the new headquarters building at the end of the summer.”The attractions this year include:- Breathtaking stunt demonstrations from Dave Coates Stunt Show and Paul Swift from ‘Precision Driving’. There will be displays from the police dog section, the police helicopter will be dropping in and there will be a range of fabulous stunt teams and individual riders showing off their fantastic skills!- TT Legend, John McGuinness, just back from winning his 21st TT at the Isle of Man will also be at the event – come along and meet him.- There will be musical entertainment from local band Kimera and Scotland’s leading tribal band ‘Clann An Drumma’.On a serious note the bike cops will be promoting road safety and there will be a focus on cycle safety which will be headed up by the 3SIXTY Stunt Bike Team.Entry to the site is from 10am and costs £2 for adults with under-16s allowed in free of charge. Once costs have been met all proceeds are distributed to local good causes.There will be clear directions and officers on duty will steer visitors to the appropriate parking sites.More information can be found at www.bikewise.org.uk

Teenager Kieran Maxwell tonight had an unusual escort to his school prom.A proud school teacher had written to Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg asking for help in escorting a remarkable young man to his prom.Kieran Maxwell from Heighington is a far from ordinary 15 year old boy who has attended Hummersknott Academy during the last five years.Kieran unfortunately fell ill at the age of 12 when he was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Kieran has subsequently undergone 3 – 4 years of intense treatment and an amputation due to the tumours that he has suffered that were untreatable.Kieran has battled every day of the past 3 years and yet he has never given into his illness. He has faced every challenge with a huge smile. Even when Kieran lost his leg he turned the entire situation around to be beneficial and this has enhanced the quality of his life. Kieran is now pursuing the Paralympics with his gymnastics and is now running aided by his prosthetic leg enabling him to follow his dreams and aspirations for the future.The one dream that Kieran had was to join the Police and on Friday 11th July 2014, his school prom was held at Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield, one of the hi-lights of the night is how the young people arrive. A number of off duty police officers had volunteered their services to escort Kieran to the prom. (Kieran was unaware)Ron Hogg said, “I was genuinely moved when Kieran’s teacher wrote to me. I offered my full support and am extremely proud of the officers who have volunteered their services to fulfil Kieran’s dream.

Picture above shows Pcs Iain Nelson & Alison Bonar presenting Kieran with a cheque for £500 from BikeWise for his charity before escorting him to the Prom night.